The document provides a history of hacking from the 1960s to the late 1990s. It describes how the original meaning of "hack" referred to clever programming at MIT. It discusses early phone phreaks and the discovery that a toy whistle could be used to hack phone systems. Over time, hacking groups formed, magazines were published, and laws were passed to criminalize hacking activities. Famous hackers like Kevin Mitnick were arrested. By the late 1990s, hacking became more serious and targeted major websites and banks. The document then defines terms like hackers, crackers, and ethical hackers who perform authorized security assessments.